Abdullah Ocalan urges Kurds to end 68-day hunger strike

A Kurdish man holds up a flag of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) during Noruz spring festival in the Lebanese capital Beirut on March 21, 2012.

Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party, has convinced his followers to end their 68-day hunger strike demanding better conditions for him and more rights for Kurds in Turkey.

Ocalan was reportedly having talks with Turkish intelligence agency officials, according to Reuters. In September, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said more talks were possible.

"This action has achieved its goal. I want them to stop their action immediately," Ocalan, who is serving a sentence for treason in solitary confinement, said in a statement. His request was communicated by his brother Mehmet, who was allowed to meet him in jail despite an 18-month ban on visitors.